Avicenna, whose full name is Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Sīnā, was a Muslim physician, a Persian polymath and is regarded as one of the most significant writers and thinkers of the Islamic Golden Age which lasted from the 8th century to the 13th century. He is widely known for some of his works on philosophy and medicine, such as The Book of Healing (1027), which is a scientific and philosophical encyclopedia, and The Canon of Medicine (1025), a medical encyclopedia which became a standard text on medicines at countless universities during the medieval times. But besides his ideas on medicine and philosophy, his other works included topics such as poetry, geography, logic, mathematics, alchemy, astronomy, physics and Islamic theology. Unfortunately, not all of his works survived and according to a biography written by Michael Flannery on Britannica’s website, “only 240 extant titles have his name attached to them” (Flannery, 2009). His writings usually focused heavily around medicine and philosophy. According to his own personal experiences in life he was able to read the entirety of the Islamic central text, the Qurʾān, by the age of 10. After being tutored in elementary logic and even surpassing his tutor he began to study Hellenistic authors by himself. By age 16, he began to study medicine as an “easy” discipline to master which of course he did and written in a biography by Sajjad H. Rizvi, he claimed to have mastered all the sciences by the age of 18 and he entered into the service of the Samanid court of Nuh ibn Mansur. But by the age of 21 he began his writing career where he wrote a multitude of works which were focused on his philosophies on how to construct a comprehensive system that accords with the religious needs of the Muslim culture (H. Rizvi). Michael Flannery wrote in his biography about the philosopher for Britanica’s website that Avicenna fell ill with colic while in the service of Kakuyid ruler, ʿAlā al-Dawla, who was also known as Muhammad ibn Rustam Dushmanziyar, as his physician, general literary and scientific adviser and though he treated himself by employing the heroic measure of eight self-administered celery-seed enemas in one day, the preparation was altered by an attendant to include 5 measures of active ingredient instead of the 2 that were prescribed. This had caused an ulceration of the intestines. As he accompanied ʿAlā al-Dawla on his campaign to the capital city of the Hamadan Province of Iran, in which al-Dawla had seized during his reign, Hamadan, his disease had returned. Eventually he succumbed to his illness in June 1037 and died at the age of 57 during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to his own personal experiences in life he was able to read the entirety of the Islamic central text, the Qurʾān, by the age of 10. After being tutored in elementary logic and even surpassing his tutor he began to study Hellenistic authors by himself. By age 16, he began to study medicine as an “easy” discipline to master which of course he did and written in a biography by Sajjad H. Rizvi, he claimed to have mastered all the sciences by the age of 18 and he entered into the service of the Samanid court of Nuh ibn Mansur. But by the age of 21 he began his writing career where he wrote a multitude of works which were focused on his philosophies on how to construct a comprehensive system that accords with the religious needs of the Muslim culture (H. Rizvi).
Michael Flannery wrote in his biography about the philosopher for Britanica’s website that Avicenna fell ill with colic while in the service of Kakuyid ruler, ʿAlā al-Dawla, who was also known as Muhammad ibn Rustam Dushmanziyar, as his physician, general literary and scientific adviser and though he treated himself by employing the heroic measure of eight self-administered celery-seed enemas in one day, the preparation was altered by an attendant to include 5 measures of active ingredient instead of the 2 that were prescribed. This had caused an ulceration of the intestines. As he accompanied ʿAlā al-Dawla on his campaign to the capital city of the Hamadan Province of Iran, in which al-Dawla had seized during his reign, Hamadan, his disease had returned. Eventually he succumbed to his illness in June 1037 and died at the age of 57 during the holy month of Ramadan.
Prepared by Michael Chase
References:
Flannery, Michael. "Avicenna." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2009. Web. 15 Dec. 2016. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Avicenna
Rizvi, Sajjad H. "Avicenna (Ibn Sina) (c. 980—1037)." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2016. http://www.iep.utm.edu/avicenna/#H4
Richardson, Moosaa. "The Reality of Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Famous Scientist and Philosopher." Bakkahnet. N.p., 21 July 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2016. http://www.bakkah.net/en/the-reality-of-ibn-sina-avicenna-famous-scientist-and-philosopher.htm